Seagull 1963 poor service

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jkbarnes
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by jkbarnes »

I just added a watch well above the US duty threshold to my carton the CW website to see what CW says to me the customer regarding potential duties and taxes. You know what they informed me off? Nothing! There was no FYI, there was no warning that potential duties might have to be paid.

Now, if one cares to look, information concerning taxes and duties is readily found on the website and clearly explained. It’s all there if one goes looking for it.

I’ll admit that when I bought my first CW I was completely ignorant of the potential for paying duty here in the US. Lucky for me there was none with either of my CWs. Had I been hit with a duty, I’d have chalked that up to my own ignorance and failure to do my due diligence with an international purchase. Caveat emptor.
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by MorrisOx »

Not after sympathy.

You’re a customer, you buy a watch based on the price quoted, nowhere in the journey does it say ‘Oh, by the way, it might cost quite a bit more because of xyz”. Infact, nowhere in the journey does it say anything about ‘prices may vary’.

You’re business. There’s been a change in the regulatory environment in one of your markets which will affect the price your customers pay. Do you tell them or make a decision to say nothing?
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by A1soknownas »

Unless you have been living under a rock, it is obvious that VAT applies for goods like these bought from the EU into the UK.

Fair enough some companies collect the VAT for you and pass it on etc. but that is the exception rather than the norm at the moment. If any website doesn't specifically reference it, fully expect to pay VAT and budget for it in the cost else you may be disappointed. You may get lucky and not have to pay anything but that is often because the price quoted on the package is not the actual value of the product.

What is the company to do - If they wrote on the site generically that VAT and import duty may apply depending upon location would you have been happier? If you are buying from overseas, best to do your research or just watch the news!
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by kiter65 »

Was thinking of purchasing something recently from outside the UK, first thing I did was pm a very helpful member who I knew had purchased one to see if he paid any extras, if in doubt ask, has anyone purchased x from y :D
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

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POST DELETED, AS IT WAS OFF TOPIC....
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by MorrisOx »

A1soknownas wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 4:50 pm Unless you have been living under a rock, it is obvious that VAT applies for goods like these bought from the EU into the UK.

Fair enough some companies collect the VAT for you and pass it on etc. but that is the exception rather than the norm at the moment. If any website doesn't specifically reference it, fully expect to pay VAT and budget for it in the cost else you may be disappointed. You may get lucky and not have to pay anything but that is often because the price quoted on the package is not the actual value of the product.

What is the company to do - If they wrote on the site generically that VAT and import duty may apply depending upon location would you have been happier? If you are buying from overseas, best to do your research or just watch the news!
I repeat the question above your post: You’re a business. There’s been a change in the regulatory environment in one of your markets which will affect the price your customers pay. Do you tell your customers or make a decision to say nothing?
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by JAFO »

A1soknownas wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 4:50 pm Unless you have been living under a rock, it is obvious that VAT applies for goods like these bought from the EU into the UK.

Fair enough some companies collect the VAT for you and pass it on etc. but that is the exception rather than the norm at the moment. If any website doesn't specifically reference it, fully expect to pay VAT and budget for it in the cost else you may be disappointed. You may get lucky and not have to pay anything but that is often because the price quoted on the package is not the actual value of the product.

What is the company to do - If they wrote on the site generically that VAT and import duty may apply depending upon location would you have been happier? If you are buying from overseas, best to do your research or just watch the news!
But it's not clear at all.

I bought an Invicta from Invicta Europe (NL). Their website says "you may be charged additional sums on import". I bought one expecting to be charged VAT, but didn't get charged. I was unsure whether Invicta had dealt with it or whether UK customs made a mistake. I now think UK customs made the mistake, as I have since checked my invoice and realised that Invicta charged me no vat on their invoice. Now maybe Invicta are being naughty in not deducting the local VAT from their charges. I mean they charged me 99 euros with no vat. Do they charge a NL customer 99 euros including VAT? If so, that's a bit naughty.

Compare this with serious watches who sell OceanX watches, also from NL. Their website clearly shows a net of local VAT price that UK customers will pay.

I am pretty sure CW adjust their SP to sell VAT exclusive where they can, but it's hard to know without seeing how the purchase works.

Tribus show the vat exclusive price, and add vat at their checkout. Obviously people complained and they now show both net and gross prices.
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by A1soknownas »

MorrisOx wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 5:44 pm I repeat the question above your post: You’re a business. There’s been a change in the regulatory environment in one of your markets which will affect the price your customers pay. Do you tell your customers or make a decision to say nothing?
You’re a customer. There’s been a change in the regulatory environment which will affect the price you pay. Do you take responsibility or ignore the changes regardless of whatever a website does or does not say and blame someone else?

All you need to know -
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by A1soknownas »

JAFO wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 6:22 pm But it's not clear at all.

I bought an Invicta from Invicta Europe (NL). Their website says "you may be charged additional sums on import". I bought one expecting to be charged VAT, but didn't get charged. I was unsure whether Invicta had dealt with it or whether UK customs made a mistake. I now think UK customs made the mistake, as I have since checked my invoice and realised that Invicta charged me no vat on their invoice. Now maybe Invicta are being naughty in not deducting the local VAT from their charges. I mean they charged me 99 euros with no vat. Do they charge a NL customer 99 euros including VAT? If so, that's a bit naughty.

Compare this with serious watches who sell OceanX watches, also from NL. Their website clearly shows a net of local VAT price that UK customers will pay.

I am pretty sure CW adjust their SP to sell VAT exclusive where they can, but it's hard to know without seeing how the purchase works.

Tribus show the vat exclusive price, and add vat at their checkout. Obviously people complained and they now show both net and gross prices.
I agree it isn't always clear. But simply, VAT should be paid and that is that. Sometimes you may get away with it but most likely not.

Your Invicta example may be because the value that was quoted on the package was not the true price. Recently I bought some trainers made in and shipped from Italy and they had a 10 Euro value on the package but they were £240. I didn't pay additional VAT.

If it is a question about not paying the cost minus VAT at the point of checkout I agree, companies are taking advantage in that scenario. However, this happens over so many industries where the international price is more than the domestic price (e.g. Apple), this just makes that even easier to get away with.

The message is, check, read the rules. Contact the company you are buying from if it isn't clear otherwise the purchase could cost a little more than you expected and you may have been best sourcing in the UK and paying more.
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by MorrisOx »

A1soknownas wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 6:29 pm
MorrisOx wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 5:44 pm I repeat the question above your post: You’re a business. There’s been a change in the regulatory environment in one of your markets which will affect the price your customers pay. Do you tell your customers or make a decision to say nothing?
You’re a customer. There’s been a change in the regulatory environment which will affect the price you pay. Do you take responsibility or ignore the changes regardless of whatever a website does or does not say and blame someone else?

All you need to know -
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty
Really sorry, but that flies in the face of everything I’ve ever learned about customer care and price transparency. I didn’t ignore anything - I looked at the charges and there was no reference to any other cost at any stage of the process. There was nothing to ignore! No warning, no indication of change, just ‘free shipping’.
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by JAFO »

A1soknownas wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 6:29 pm
MorrisOx wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 5:44 pm I repeat the question above your post: You’re a business. There’s been a change in the regulatory environment in one of your markets which will affect the price your customers pay. Do you tell your customers or make a decision to say nothing?
You’re a customer. There’s been a change in the regulatory environment which will affect the price you pay. Do you take responsibility or ignore the changes regardless of whatever a website does or does not say and blame someone else?

All you need to know -
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty
I've read the gov.uk link several times, and i still don't understand the rules. My Invicta watch was less than £135, so there's nothing to pay?

Thanks for the link, anyway.
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by Thegreyman »

Death and taxes...
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by MorrisOx »

Thegreyman wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 7:54 pm Death and taxes...
Looked like both when DHL’s six-page invoice landed! :lol:
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by ItsAliveJim »

Blaming the seller for Brexit. Brilliant :lol:
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Re: Seagull 1963 poor service

Post by ItsAliveJim »

MorrisOx wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 2:35 pm No; the tone of my post is that there had been a change likely to impact on price which I simply wasn’t aware of…
You must have had your head in the sand for the past 5 years then? There has been no change to their selling price. Actually, it should have been cheaper because you won't have been charged tax.

The impact is that you are now expected to pay a 20% tax when you receive the watch in your country, which very recently, in case you missed it, officially left the EU. None of this is the seller's responsibility.
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